


Silence Is the Sound

by Lliyk



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Dancing, Drabble Collection, F/F, Flowers, Fluff, Gifts, Inspired by Poetry, Letters, Love, MaiLee Week 2021, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Painting, Romance, World Travel, mailee, prompted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lliyk/pseuds/Lliyk
Summary: A decade old confession of love hangs at the tip of her tongue. ForMaiLee Week 2021.Mai slips her hand into hers, and smiles a slow, knowing smile. A barely decipherable upturn of her crimson lips. But Ty Lee knows every look, every gesture, every quirk. She sees it without searching, and her heart races at the sight.“Let’s go then,” Mai tugs her up, quickly leads her out. Ty Lee follows as if tied to her by strings. “I’m ready if you are. Ourdancingawaits.”(Under the glow of hanging paper lanterns in the ballroom’s court, Ty Lee will miss a step and lose her breath all over again. “Your lip paint,” Mai will whisper close, mouth kiss-swollen and hazel eyes bright. “your lip paint. It needed fixing.”)
Relationships: Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Flowers & Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> i have never written these two before! let’s fix that. comments are fuel ♡.

* * *

joyful dancing with the summer wind

your petals are the testament

of courage and hard work.

lovely under the midday sun

the world has yet to understand

the pain it took you to bloom.

**[ pauline celerio [redacted] ](https://hellopoetry.com/poem/3187670/chrysanthemum/) **

* * *

  
  


“Lady Lieutenant Mai of the Sun Family,” the postmaster bellows her name from the bow, and she approaches in silence. “for you, miss.”

A bouquet, withered and dry. Muted and ashen. Once vivid purple and bright spring green. Mai thanks the quartermaster in much similar fashion in which she’d answered: in silence, though with a nod of acknowledgement for his trouble.

 _Thought of you_ , the curling scrawl on the accompanying card reads. Later that night, after she’s relieved from her shift on the deck and well into her sleeping gown, she will dip her quiver in the brightest violet of inks and pen her response:

 _Flowers don’t keep very well at sea_.

Weeks later, the postmaster calls for her again. “For you, miss,” he says, and this time he is smiling at her. Mai gives him a nod of acknowledgement for his trouble.

A bouquet, almost withered and almost dry. Muted and pale, once vibrant orange. There is a small, thin tome tucked into the creased brown paper of the package, bound in Earth Kingdom leathers and soft to the touch. 

That night Mai tucks her finger under the bind of the book and curiously opens it to the first page. Her lips part as she takes in the pressed petals of brilliant purple and cut stems of rich spring green; the lingering perfume of snapdragons in the rain.

 _You keep them then_ , the curling scrawl at the bottom reads.

Warmth to rival Agni’s blooms slowly behind Mai’s heart.

“Lady Lieutenant Mai of the Sun Family,” the postmaster bellows her name from the bow, smile ready and waiting. “another, miss.”

Flowers don’t keep very well at sea, but Ty Lee sends them anyway. 


	2. Painting & Dance

* * *

sometimes your nearness takes my breath away

all the things i want to say can find no voice

then, in silence 

i can only hope my eyes will speak my heart

**[robert sexton](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/149618-sometimes-your-nearness-takes-my-breath-away-and-all-the) **

* * *

“For the love of the Painted Lady, will you please sit still? You’re never this twitchy. Do you want me to finish your makeup or not?”

Cool hazel eyes bore into hers, narrowed and searching. Mai scrunches her nose in frustration as she steadies the brush in her hand once more, and Ty Lee has to suck in a deep breath as her long, pale fingers cup her chin and tilt her face this way and that.

Mai _tsk’s_ , her brow furrowing as she leans in and uses the pad of her thumb to swipe carefully over Ty Lee’s bottom lip. 

“That’s the third time I’ve had to redo your lip stain, Ty.”

Ty Lee lets out a lilting giggle, overly bright and hopefully distracting enough from the fact that she cannot find the discipline within herself to remain unmoving. How can she do so when her heart thumps a heavy, terrible beat at Mai’s proximity? How can she when her breath leaves her lungs and her blood sings so loudly at the unwavering attention of Mai’s cool gaze?

How can she remain unmoving, when Mai has agreed to a night of dancing, _actual dancing_ , and a decade old confession of love hangs at the tip of her tongue?

It is a wonder how Ty Lee has not fisted her hands into the fabric of her scarlet dress and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. 

“Ty?”

“Fine,” Ty Lee blurts, raising her gaze from the curve of Mai’s mouth. Mai makes a face at her, but her touch remains unwavering along her jaw, firm in a way that makes her cheeks flush. “fine. I’m sure it’s fine! Hey,” Ty Lee wraps her fingers delicately over Mai’s wrist. “let’s just go already, okay!”

Mai pauses and stares. Ty Lee stares back and prays her secret can be seen; how much easier this would be, if Mai only _knew_.

 _I love you, I love you._ Ty Lee thinks loudly. _I do and always have._

Mai slips her hand into hers, and smiles a slow, knowing smile. A barely decipherable upturn of her crimson lips. But Ty Lee knows every look, every gesture, every quirk. She sees it without searching, and her heart races at the sight.

“Let’s go then,” Mai tugs her up, quickly leads her out. Ty Lee follows as if tied to her by strings. “I’m ready if you are. Our _dancing_ awaits.”

(Under the glow of hanging paper lanterns in the ballroom’s court, Ty Lee will miss a step and lose her breath all over again. “Your lip paint,” Mai will whisper close, mouth kiss-swollen and hazel eyes bright. “your lip paint. It needed fixing.”

 _“I love you, I love you.”_ Ty Lee will cry loudly. _“_ Mai, I always have.”)

  
  



End file.
